It’s a sensitive issues at the Utah Capitol — maybe close to alcohol policy, marijuana and Medicaid expansion — who goes off Utah’s Sex Offender Registry.
Depending on the sex crime, convicts now can stay on for ten years, or for the rest of their lives.
“We tend to kind of group those sex offenders together in the same broad brush category,“ said Sen. Todd Weiler, R-Davis County, who maintained Wednesday during a legislative committee hearing, the circumstances of the criminal acts are often very different. “Sometimes with these controversial issues, it takes the Legislature two or three years to come up with a consensus.“ Full Article
This is a waste – there are already tons of studies and data to answer Weiler’s questions.
A better study to call for would be on absconders. How many absconders are among the near-million registrants and of those, how many have committed any other crime (less status offenses)? Betting that number is very low. But such a study will never occur, at least not sanctioned by any legislature (and if it were, it would be ignored as in Oregon), specifically because it will undoubtedly show the registry’s uselessness as a “public safety tool.”
Again, all they do is gather in a hand-wringing session and cherry pick the “Romeo & Juliet” (which is still a contact offense, while CP possession is not).
Either unplug Megan’s Law or stop pretending to be “pro life,” you hypocrite lawmakers.
Calling all people on the registry “convicts” is almost just as wrong and inflammatory as calling all registrants predators. If someone is not incarcerated, then they are not a convict (though they may have been convicted of a crime.)
As for this new study, I think Utah legislators know (as do most) that the registry is useless, but they dare not publicly admit lest they lose votes for being “soft on sex offenders.” Politicians (past and present) have dug themselves into a deep hole on this and they have no ladder with which to escape.
“People caught in a sting(and people) who actually target in victimize children, those are very serious offenders, and the DAs office and the public have no sympathy,“ he said.
Yes, you dont have to have sympathy when sentencing said people for breaking the law, but once one has “done their time, or paid their price” why continue to harass and demean them? Why do they their best to make it extremely hard for someone to live a normal life with their family? Why continue to harass them decades after the alleged crime, not to mention decades AFTER they have been released and have done nothing to further suspect them of a crime? Its hard to think of other crimes (including murder) in most states that cause one to come under so much scrutiny and banishment. Why is it others (including murderers) can get out in most states and be given a real chance to start a new LAW ABIDING life, but anyone (other than very attractive females) are harassed until the day they die?
Geez. The point is that Utah is at least recognizing there are many registrants on the registry who don’t belong there!!!! Great move. People need to realize that States like Ca are bankrupt and why use your resources to monitor low level offenders and individuals who pose little or no risk whatsoever to the general public. As I’ve already noted, we have the most liberal Governor who might have ever existed. It’s now time to propose and continue proposing existing laws.
“The sex offender registry serves multiple purposes,“ said Will Carlson, deputy Salt Lake County DA, noting a public safety component, and awareness of offenders living in individual neighborhoods.
Along with the two-are-the-same purpose the Ass. DA notes, he failed to mention the more notable purposes of Registries:
⚠️ public shaming
⚠️ ostracizing community members
⚠️ ongoing public humiliation
⚠️ emotional damage
⚠️ anxiety
⚠️ fear of vigilantly attacks …..
🤔 You get the point. And that doesn’t begin to list all the add-ons punishments: residency restrictions, employment restrictions, travel restrictions (IML), etc.
I contacted Sen Weiler via email and told him I support him. I agree with those saying that at least he is not only realizing it’s ridiculous but actually trying to do something about it. I think he deserves support for saying it in a public forum too.